Paul Murphy demands emergency action on apartment fire defects
Paul Murphy criticised the Government's delay in acting on a report that revealed widespread, serious defects - mostly fire defects - in apartments and duplexes built between 1991 and 2013, and demanded emergency funding and a 100% redress scheme with retrospection. He warned that 100,000 families cannot wait and said there has been no action to help residents, including no emergency funding for urgent fire-safety work.
Report findings and timeframe
The report revealed the shockingly widespread nature of very serious defects, mostly fire defects, affecting the majority of apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013, attributed to a regime of self-certification.
Government promises and inaction
At the start of the year the Government said it would introduce a 100% redress scheme with retrospection. Paul Murphy said those promises have not been followed by concrete action and criticised the lack of emergency funding.
Immediate risks highlighted
He pointed to a near-fire incident in Park West where a cigarette butt thrown from a balcony blew back in and landed on an artificial gun, underscoring continuing fire-safety risks in defective buildings.
Calls for emergency action
Paul Murphy called for immediate short-term funding for emergency fire-safety work and for legislation to establish a wider scheme to repair defects with retrospection, insisting that affected families need help now.
Government response in the debate
Other deputies replied that work is underway on short-term funding for emergency fire-safety measures and that legislation will be brought forward to deliver a retrospection-based redress scheme and repairs.
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Yesterday he said it twice, deliberately to get the headlines that he got, he said it here and he said it at a press conference, that's the truth of it. It's now a year since the Government received the report into defects in apartments and defects, that revealed the shockingly widespread nature of very serious defects, mostly fire defects, the majority of apartments and duplexes between 1991 and 2013, as a consequence of the regime of self-certification. At the start of this year, then the Government thankfully said we're going to have a 100% redress scheme, we're going to have retrospection, but there hasn't been any action, we haven't done anything to actually help these people, in particular there have been no moves on emergency funding. Just the other day in Park West, there was almost a very serious fire, we know there are defects there, that was the building that was highlighted in prime time, when someone threw a cigarette butt out of a balcony and it blew back in and landed an artificial gun. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. But we need emergency action now, the 100,000 families simply cannot wait. Thanks Deputy, this is something we're working on, both in terms of funding in the short term for emergency work that need to be done in relation to fire safety, and then a wider scheme, which will require legislation, which we'll put in place to help people who need defects repaired to their apartments, and that will be done with retrospection. Thank you. Right. Thank you. Thank you.
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